Safety water-column for steam-boilers



(No Model.)

A. J. WRIGHT'. SAFETY WATER COLUMNPYY'R :STEAM BOILBRS. No. 572,592.

Patented Deo. 8, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN J. WRIGHT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFE-TY WATER-COLUMN FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 572,592, dated December 8, 1896.

Application filed October 14, 1895. Serial No. 565,554. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN J. WEIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Water-Columns for Steam-Boilers, of which the following, with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of safety water-columns for steam-boilers that give an alarm at determined high and low water levels in aboiler commonly known as combined high and low water alarms.

The objects of my invention are to so improve the construction of such water-columns that no sediment can collect at places therein to interfere with the'operation of their mechanism or to stop the outlet to the whistle; to facilitate access to their working parts; to simplify their construction, and to cheapen their manufacture.

Myinvention consists in the details of construction and in the combination of parts described herein, and deiined in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved water-column. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the cap of the column with the lever through which the whistle-valve is operated in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the combined whistle-valve casingv and bracket with the whistle-valve stem and the lever through which it is operated in place, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of my water-column on the line a of Fig. 1 with the float and its stem removed.

In the different figures of the drawings like reference-characters refer to like parts.

1 is the column-casing, preferably cylindrical, having the lateral extension 1 at its upper end. The upper end ofthe cylindrical casing is closed by a cap 2, that is secured to the casing 1 by bolts 3 (that pass through the flanges 1b and 2b) and the nuts 3i". The space intermediate the lateral extensions la of the water-column 1 and 2f of the cap 2 forms a recess 4, that is an expansion of the interior of the column and provides for the attachment of the whistle to the water-column and the reception of the whistle-valve and its operatin g mechanism. The whistle 5 is screwed upon or otherwise attached to the upper end of the whistle-valve 6, that is secured to the cap 2 from its under side, as illustrated by Fig. 1. The whistle may be of any known construction. The whistle-valve 6 has a bore 6 vertically therethrough. The bore is contracted near its upper end to form a seat 6b for the valve 7.

The Whistle-valve 6 is elongated, as illustrated, and has a slot transversely through it from a point 6C below the valve-seat to the lower end thereof. The branches 6d and 6e form -hangers for the support of the valvestem 7 and the lever 8, through which it is operated. A cap 9 is screwed upon the lower ends of the brackets 6162 A collar 7 b is fixed upon the stem 7. A spiral spring 10 is interposed between the collar 7b and the cap 9 around the stem 7 to hold the valve 7 automatically in its normal position against the.

valve-seat 6b. The lever 8 passes through the slot formed by the sides 6 6e of the hanger formed by the elongation of the whistle-valve proper. The lever 8 has an openin g 8a through it, through which opening the stem 7 passes. (See Fig. 2.)' The stem 7 and the lever 8 are pivotally connected by thepin 11, that passes through them, as shown. Above the lever 8, at each side of the stem 7, are pins 12 12a, that form fulcrums for the lever 8, as hereinafter described. A balance-weight or counterpoise Sb is placed upon the end of the lever 8, that projects into the recess 4.

Extending across the cylinder 1, near its lower end, is a brace 13, having an opening 13 inline with the axis of the cylinder. A rod 14. has its upper end bent and hooked through the eye S at the inner end of the lever 8. The lower end of the rod 14 is bent around to form a loop 14a, through which the rod 15 passes, and it has an adjustable collar 14h fixed upon it by a set-screw or other means. The upper end of the rod 15 is bent to form a loop l15, that incloses the rod 14, as shown. Each of said rods is movable in the loop of the adjacent rod, so that the lower rod may be raised relatively to the upper rod until the adjustable stop 15b comes in contact with the loop 14., while the distance through which the lower rod can be lowered is limited by the adjustable collar 1lib and loop 15a. The adjustment of the collars 14.* and 15b provides IOO for varying the points at which the high and lowwater signals will be given. The float 1G is attached to the lower end of the rod 15. To the lower end of the iioat is attached a rod 17, that passes through the bore 13 in the brace 13. The rod 17 forms a guide to make the iioat travel verticallyin the water-column and to hold the iioat clear of the Walls of the column. The sediment-chamber 1S, in addition to its usual function, provides for the depression of the guide-rod 17. The pipe 19 connects the water-column with the waterspace of a boiler, and the pipe 2O connects the water-colilmn with the steam-space of the boiler. 21 and 21 are connections for the glass watergage. 22 is the blowoff. The gage-cocks are indicated by the lines 23, 23a, and 23".

The operation of my improved watercolumn will be readily understood from the de.- scription given of its construction. The column should be so connected with a boiler that the lower gage-cock will be at the desired low-water level. The steam connection should be in the dome or in the top ofthe boiler-shell, and the water connection should be far enough from the bottom of the boiler to avoid the sediment that settles there. As the boiler is iilled water runs into the watercolumn and raises the float. As the float is lifted the rod 15 moves upwardly through the loop 14 of the rod 14C until the collar 15b comes in contact with the loop 143. The rod 14 lis then lifted by the iioat, carrying with it the handle of the lever 8. The pin 12 forms a fulcrum for the lever 8 when the rod 111 is raised, and while the end of the lever 8, to which the rod 1-1 is attached, is raised the opposite end of the lever is depressed, thus depressing the valve-stem '7 and releasing` the valve 7 from its seat 6h. Steam then escapes to the whistle and the high-water alarm is sounded. As the water in theboiler lowers the iioat falls by gravity. XVhen the float shall have descended far enough, the loop 15 of the red l5 will have engaged the collar let" of the rod 141 and caused the handle of the lever S to be pulled down. In this case the pin 12"L will form a fulcrum and the valve 7 will be released from its seat, steam will escape to the whistle, and the low-water signal will be sounded. The spring 10 in each case serves to return the whistle-valve to its seat when the oat shall have fallen from the high-water level or lifted above the low-water level.

The bottom or iloor l of the recess et is made. inclined, as illustrated, and the valveoperating mechanism is clear of the floor of the recess. This prevents the accumulation of any sediment to interfere with the mechanism of the column, and my improved conn struction leaves the passage from the watercolumn to the whistle vertical, with its lower end open and free of any obstruction, so that the passage to the whistle will not become clogged by sediment.

rlhe foregoing description is confined to the preferred form of construction of my 'improved safety water-column 5 but my improvement may be adapted to water-columns used for a lowewater alarm only, or a high-water alarm only, as well as for a combined low and high water alarm,in which cases the valve may be set horizontally and a bell-crank lever used instead of the straight horizontal lever illustrated. These changes or modiiications of construction will be understood readily by persons skilled in theart.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a water-column, the combination of a comparatively short, vhorizontally-arranged, bodily-moving lever, a counterpoise on one end of said lever and a pendent rod at the other end of said lever provided with a float,

a single vertically-operating valve-stem and valve connected to the said lever at right angles thereto, a whistle provided with a seat for receiving said valve, means for normally forcing'the valve up in the valve-seat of the whistle, and a stationary fulcrum above the lever and disconnected from the valve and valve-stem, the entire mechanism being arranged within the outer casing of the watercolumn, substantially as described.

2. In a water-column, the combination of a comparatively short, horizontally-arranged, bodilymoving lever, a counterpoise on one end of said lever anda pendent rod at the other end of said lever provided with a float, a single vertically-operating valve-stem and valve connected to the said lever at right an-x gles thereto, a single Whistle provided witha seat for receiving said valve, stationary fulcrum-pins above said lever and disconnected tog from the valve and valve-stem, and a spring for normally holding the valve in the valve seat of the whistle and automatically return ing it to its position when moved away from the same, the entire mechanism being arranged within the' outer casing of the water^ column, substantially as described.

In a water-column, -the combination of a bod ily-movin g lever provided on its inner end with a counterpoise, a telescopic rod attached to the cuter end of said lever, a float at the lower end of said rod, fixed fulcrum =-pins above the lever, a single valve-stem and valve secured to the lever at right angles thereto, a single whistle provided with avalve-seat for said valve, a spring for normally holding the valve in the valve-seat and automatically returning it when it is drawn away from they same, substantially as described.

4. In a water-column, the combination of a bodily-moving lever provided on its inner end witha counterpoise, a vertical telescopic rod secured to the outer end of said lever, a float at the lower end of said rod having a pendent guiding-stem, iixed fulcrumpins above the lever, a single valvestem and valve. secured to said lever at right angles thereto, a single high and low water alarm, a collar on the valve-stembelow the lever, and a spring bearing upon the collar for normally holding the valve in the valve-seat of the alarm and for automatically returning the valve When it is drawn away from the valve-seat, substantially as described. 5. In a Water-column, the combination of a comparatively short, horizontally-arranged, bodily-moving lever, a counterpoise on one end of said lever and a pendent rod at the other end of said lever, a float, a rod connected to the float, said rod having longitudinal movement on the rod connected to the lever, stops for limiting the movement of'said rod, a vertically-operating valve-stem and valve connected to the said lever at right angles thereto, a whistle provided With aV seat for receiving said valve, and a stationary fulcrum above the lever, the entire mechanism being arranged Within the outer casing of the Watercolumn, substantially as described. 6. In a Water-column, the combination of acomparatively short, horizontally-arranged,

crum above said lever, the construction and operation being such that the valve in the 3 5 Whistle Will be opened by raising or depressing either end of the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 12th dayof 4o October, 1895.

ALLEN J. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

J. A. OsBoRNE, E. E. OsBoRNE. 

